When I want a hearty and filling soup, there is nothing quite like a classic Italian Wedding Soup with delicious little beef meatballs and orzo! This was one soup we grew up having once a week in the summer and continue to enjoy through the Fall!
If you love Italian soup, you HAVE to give these a try: Pasta Fagioli with Spinach, EASY Chicken Farro Soup, Classic Italian Minestrone, or White Bean Lentil Soup.
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Why This Recipe?
Your family is going to love this dish. You'll have plenty of leftovers and it's so hearty and filling. The meatballs are so delicious when they are fried this way. The soup is silky and delicious.
Although it's not actually served at Italian weddings this dish is called Italian Wedding soup because its translation from minestra maritata (married soup) got a little confusing for people. The soup is called "married" because of the marrying of meat and vegetables together in the soup. It's similar to a Zuppa Toscana with the meat and vegetables combined in the soup!
Whatever the reason this soup is called Italian Wedding Soup, it's delicious and it is a whole meal and not just a side soup. People will definitely be asking for seconds of this delicious soup!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Meatballs. My mom likes to use ground pork and ground beef for her meatballs. My mother-in-law has always used just ground beef. I lean toward only ground beef even when I'm making Classic Italian Fried Meatballs, because I am usually only making a pound of meatballs. You can use the combination or just ground beef!
Pasta. Classic Italian Wedding Soup is made with acini de pepe, but it's not always easy to find. You can substitute orzo as I did, or use any pastina.
*Please see the recipe card below for more information on the ingredients
How to Make Italian Wedding Soup
Step 1: Combine the ingredients for the meatballs and roll into small meatballs about the size of a quarter.
Step 2: Making the little meatballs can be a pain without a little scooper. I tend to make them a little bigger than what's typical. They should be about the size of a quarter.
Step 3: In the pot, add the olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Sear the meatballs for about 30-45 seconds on each side. They will sear quickly because they're so small. Set them aside.
Step 4: Remove the oil from the pot. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium heat. Add the onions and saute for 5 minutes or until they begin to soften. Add the carrots and saute for a few more minutes until the carrots are glistening. Then stir in the garlic for a minute until fragrant.
Step 5: Pour in the broth and add the bay leaves. Bring to a boil and then immediately lower to a simmer.
Step 6: Add the meatballs and simmer for 15 minutes.
Step 7: After 15 minutes, stir in the pasta. Simmer for 15 more minutes and then remove from the heat. Add the spinach and cover for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and stir in the spinach. Serve hot!
Top-Tips
- Searing vs. not searing the meatballs. Look, I know they're not usually seared. But the flavor you get from quickly searing them first is unmatched. I've made this dish so many times both ways. It is light years better with seared meatballs.
- Sauteing the vegetables. Let the onion soften before adding the carrots. Don't saute the carrots for too long. You want them to hold their shape in the soup! Add them to the onions right as the onions are about ready.
- Don't overwork your meatballs. The less you mix them, the softer their texture will be.
Storage and Reheating
Storage for soup is always important. If you plan on storing a lot of the soup, I suggest cooking the orzo separately and then adding it in as you eat so that the pasta doesn't soak up all of the soup when you store it away. When the pasta is bigger like the tortellini in Rustic Italian Tortellini Soup with Sausage or Broccoli Rabe and Tortellini Soup you don't have to worry as much about the soup being soaked up.
Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days and in the freezer for 3 months. I used the containers called Soupercubes. I have worked with them in the past but this is not an ad. I truly love their product.
When reheating, if you already have pasta in the soup, I always add it to a pot with extra chicken broth and heat through over the stovetop.
Recipe FAQs
There's a lot of beef about what's actually in this soup, but basically, as long as it has meatballs, leafy greens, and some pastina, you can call it Italian wedding soup.
So many people think this soup isn't actually Italian. It is definitely Italian but it has nothing to do with a wedding. The word wedding was loosely translated from the Italian name minestra maritata which means "married" soup, referring to the marrying of inexpensive meat and leafy greens in the soup!
Some of Our Favorite Soups
Please leave a comment and star rating below in the recipe card! I love to hear what you think of our recipes. Feel free to tag us on Instagram @vindelgiudice.
📖 Recipe
Italian Wedding Soup
Equipment
- 1 large pot
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
Soup
- 2 carrots, sliced into circles
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 qts chicken broth
- 1 bag baby spinach or escarole
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 tablespoon olive oil, to fry meatballs
- 1 cup orzo or acini de pepe
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients for the meatballs and roll into small meatballs about the size of a quarter. In the pot, add the olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. sear the meatballs for about 30-45 seconds on each side. They will sear quickly because they're so small. Set them aside.
- Remove the oil from the pot. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium heat. Add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes or until they begin to soften. Add the carrots and saute for 3 more minutes. Then stir in the garlic for a minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the broth and add the bay leaves. Bring to a boil and then immediately lower to a simmer. Add the meatballs and simmer for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, stir in the pasta. Simmer for 15 more minutes and then remove from the heat. Add the spinach and cover for 5 minutes. Then stir it in and serve hot!
Notes
- A lot of people don't like that the next day the pasta will have soaked up all the broth. My note is to add more broth if you're going to eat day two. The reason I add the pasta to the soup to cook is because of all the flavor that gets into the pasta and all the starch that transfers into the soup. It's the best way for flavor.
Al Maurer
Great recipe. I replaced the meatballs with frying a pound of mild Italian sausage patties then cutting into half inch cubes. It makes the recipe easier and faster to make.
Zach G
I would lower the bread crumb amount next time, felt there was to much. Otherwise amazing!!
Nazema
Delicious! Everyone loved it. Used kale because that’s all I had.
Vincent DelGiudice
Kale is a great substitution! I use that in Zuppa Toscana!